Warm Up Exercise Benefits
We have all heard people say that they are going to warm up; a lot of us have probably said it ourselves. Unfortunately a lot of people don’t quite understand how to warm up properly. When a muscle is being trained that particular area actually rises in temperature. Because of this effect, we are able to train more intensely and get a lot more out of our “Muscle Building Workout Routines”.
As we warm-up, fresh oxygenated blood is pumped into the area, this raises our blood pressure and increases our heart rate. This reaction will provide maximum oxygen supply to the body and will help to eliminate waste products of exercise from the working muscles. Lastly, warming up properly will help protect our bodies from becoming overstressed and prepare our bodies for a strenuous workout. A proper warm-up will also help reduce the chance of injuries.
There are various ways to warm up. Some people enjoy a short jog or a few minutes on a stationary bike before training. You only require enough to get your heart going, but not enough to burn you out. Exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups and stride jumps can be used as warm up exercises. You can also use light weights after you have finished stretching to warm-up with.
The time of day can also determine how much time you will spend warming up. If you are training first thing in the morning you will most likely need to warm up a lot more as your body will be a little tighter than if you trained in the evening.
Remember to warm up the muscles that are actually going to be used for the exercises you are going to perform. There is no point in warming up your upper body for 10 minutes and your lower body for 30 seconds when you are going to be training your lower body.
One of the main reasons people suffer injuries while working out is because of a poor or insufficient warm-up. By warming up properly not only will it help to prevent injuries but you will have a better performance through out your workout.
Hans K Anderson
